Farai Mbidzo Explained
Farai Mbidzo (born 6 October 1972) is a Zimbabwean former footballer who last played as a midfielder for FC St. Pauli II.
Early life
Mbidzo started playing football at the age of eleven.[1] He started playing guitar at the age of fourteen.[2] He has been nicknamed "Mr Perfect".[3]
Playing career
Mbidzo played for Zimbabwean side CAPS United, helping the club win the league.[4]
Style of play
Mbidzo was described as a "talented attacking midfielder... full of skill and beguiling ball artistry".[5] [6]
Post-playing career
After retiring from professional football, Mbidzo worked as a reggae musician.[7]
Personal life
Mbidzo is the brother of Zimbabwe international John Mbidzo.[8] He has been married and has two children.[9] He has worked as a mechanic.[10]
Notes and References
- Web site: Farai Mbidzo - Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag article.
- Web site: Mbidzo turns to music. thestandard.co.zw.
- Web site: Farai Mbidzo - Herald article.
- Web site: Revisiting Zim's deadly midfield combinations. herald.co.zw.
- Web site: Mbidzo carves ball juggling niche (1). PressReader. 2024-01-01. 2023-12-15. https://archive.today/20231215141355/https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=Mbidzo%20carves%20ball%20juggling%20niche%0AThe%20Standard%20(Zimbabwe)24%20May%202015BY%20MUNYARADZI%20MADZOKERE%0A%0ADesire%20Mbidzo%20has%20graced%20many%20big%20occasions%20where%20he%20shows%20off%20his%20ball%20artistry%0AHailing%20from%20a%20footballrich%20family%20where%20his%20father%20Phillip%20and%20his%20uncle%20Felix%20carved%20their%20own%20pieces%20of%20soccer%20history,%20Desire%20Mbidzo%20was%20destined%20to%20pursue%20a%20football%20career.%0A%0AA%20talented%20attacking%20midfielder%20during%20his%20youthful%20age,%20Mbidzo%20was%20full%20of%20skill%20and%20beguiling%20ball%20artistry.%20His%20dream%20had%20always%20been%20to%20make%20a%20name%20in%20the%20football%20fraternity%20%E2%80%94%20even%20taking%20his%20prowess%20to%20the%20lucrative%20European%20leagues.%0A%0AWith%20cousins%20Davies,%20John%20and%20later%20Farai%20having%20made%20their%20mark%20in%20local%20football,%20he%20knew%20his%20was%20not%20a%20too%20far-fetched%20dream.%0A%0AMbidzo%20started%20off%20at%20Black%20Aces%20junior%20football%20where%20he%20rubbed%20shoulders%20with%20the%20likes%20of%20Francis%20Jeyiman%20and%20Knowledge%20Zinyama%20and%20progressed%20to%20don%20the%20Eiffel%20Flats,%20Unique%20Select,%20ZRP%20Tomlinson%20and%20Sporting%20Lions%20colours.%0A%0AAnd%20as%20fate%20would%20have%20it,%20one%20day%20in%201994,%20the%20then%2023-year-old%20suffered%20knee%20injury%20that%20prematurely%20shut%20him%20out%20of%20the%20soccer%20field.%20Naturally%20the%20young%20man%20was%20devastated,%20hopes%20shattered;%20but%20he%20did%20not%20give%20up.%20He%20chose%20to%20pursue%20other%20football%20directions%20and%20was%20soon%20to%20find%20his%20own%20unique%20speciality.%0A%0AHe%20began%20by%20getting%20himself%20a%20coaching%20badge,%20training%20community%20football%20and%20local%20schools%20before%20sometime%20in%202002,%20an%20idea%20that%20would%20change%20his%20life%20and%20propel%20him%20to%20stardom%20struck%20him.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CWhen%20I%20got%20injured%20and%20had%20my%20career%20cut%20short%20prematurely,%20I%20was%20devastated.%20I%20thought%20all%20my%20dreams%20had%20been%20shattered%20but%20it%20turned%20out%20to%20be%20a%20blessing%20in%20disguise,%E2%80%9D%20he%20told%20in%20a%20recent%20interview.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CThe%20idea%20to%20become%20a%20ball%20juggler%20was%20purely%20original,%20my%20own.%20I%20sat%20down%20to%20think%20how%20best%20I%20could%20make%20my%20name%20while%20at%20the%20same%20time%20making%20football%20fans%20happy.%20Watching%20drum%20majorettes%20and%20dancers%20perform%20during%20match%20intervals%20helped%20inspire%20my%20decision%20and%20I%20made%20up%20my%20mind%20that%20I%20would%20entertain%20by%20way%20of%20ball%20juggling,%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.%0A%0ANow%20a%20Zifa-certified%20professional%20ball%20juggler,%20Mbidzo%20has%20already%20graced%20many%20big%20occasions%20where%20he%20displayed%20his%20ball%20artistry.%0A%0AIn%202004%20he%20made%20his%20debut%20appearance%20during%20a%20Warriors%20encounter%20with%20El%20Salvador.%20Since%20then%20he%20has%20been%20a%20constant%20feature%20in%20most,%20if%20not%20all%20Warriors%E2%80%99%20international%20home%20fixtures,%20contributing%20to%20entertainment%20of%20football%20fans%20in%20his%20own%20inim-%20itable%20way.%0A%0APerforming%20during%20Zimbabwe%E2%80%99s%20historic%20friendly%20match%20against%20football%20powerhouse%20Brazil%20in%202010,%20prior%20to%20the%202010%20World%20Cup%20hosted%20by%20South%20Africa,%20will%20always%20rank%20among%20his%20most%20memorable%20experiences.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CI%20was%20a%20branding%20ambassador%20with%20the%20Zimbabwe%20Tourism%20Authority%20that%20time%20and%20the%20Brazilians%20marvelled%20at%20my%20juggling%20skills.%20I%20was%20that%20day%20given%20the%20unforgettable%20opportunity%20to%20shake%20hands%20with%20some%20of%20the%20great%20footballers%20from%20Brazil.%20Ball%20juggling%20had%20surely%20ushered%20me%20before%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20great%20men%20in%20football,%E2%80%9D%20he%20recalls%20with%20pride.%0A%0AMbidzo%20shook%20hands%20with%20such%20Brazilian%20greats%20like%20Kaka,%20Robinho,%20Lucio,%20Dani%20Alves,%20that%20current%20captain%20Thiago%20Silva%20and%20the%20legendary%20coach%20Dunga.%0A%0ATo%20date%20Mbidzo%20has%20worked%20with%20ZTA,%20Econet,%20OK%20Zimbabwe,%20Ngwiros%20Trading,%20Mbada%20Diamonds,%20Chroma%20Paints,%20Zimbabwe%20Defence%20Forces,%20Police%20Commissioner%20Fun%20Fair,%20SRC%20and%20UNI%20Products,%20Color%20Run%20among%20many%20other%20organisations%20as%20a%20ball%20juggler%20and%20branding%20ambassador.&op=translate. bot: unknown.
- Web site: Mbidzo carves ball juggling niche (2). PressReader. 2024-01-01. 2023-12-15. https://archive.today/20231215141324/https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=But%20one%20wonders%20how%20much%20work%20Mbidzo%20has%20to%20put%20to%20perfect%20his%20art.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CZimbabweans%20back%20then%20had%20a%20misconception%20that%20all%20extraordinary%20exploit%20were%20associated%20with%20so%20my%20choice%20of%20sport%20was%20accompanied%20with%20a%20lot%20of%20stories%20when%20I%20started.%20I%20had%20to%20put%20in%20a%20lot%20of%20work%20to%20improve%20my%20ball%20juggling%20skills%20which%20were%20not%20as%20developed%20when%20I%20was%20still%20a%20player,%E2%80%9D%20said%20the%2044-year-old%20entertainer.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CI%20committed%20a%20lot%20of%20time%20to%20physical%20and%20mental%20practice.%20But%20as%20time%20passed,%20juggling%20became%20part%20of%20my%20system%20and%20I%20found%20I%20did%20not%20need%20to%20train%20that%20much%20any%20longer,%E2%80%9D%20said%20the%20former%20Kwayedza%20High%20School%20student.%0A%0AMbidzo%20has%20now%20set%20his%20mind%20on%20passing%20his%20skills%20on%20to%20youngsters%20and%20upcoming%20footballers%20to%20enable%20them%20to%20add%20ball%20juggling%20to%20their%20skills%20arsenal%20in%20game%20situations.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CI%20see%20myself%20as%20a%20motivational%20example%20in%20local%20football.%20This%20is%20a%20legacy%20I%20can%20leave%20for%20others%20so%20nowadays%20I%20am%20bringing%20in%20youngsters%20to%20help%20me%20perform%20because%20ball%20juggling%20is%20like%20the%20word%20of%20God%20which%20must%20be%20shared%20with%20others,%E2%80%9D%20Mbidzo%20said.%0A%0ABall%20juggling,%20he%20said,%20is%20a%20football%20coaching%20concept%20which%20helps%20in%20terms%20of%20vision,%20ball%20artistry,%20and%20precision%20while%20spicing%20up%20the%20game%20of%20football.%0A%0AHe%20said%20he%20is%20quite%20dismayed%20to%20see%20that%20there%20is%20a%20good%20number%20of%20soccer%20players%20who%20cannot%20do%20basic%20ball%20juggling.%0A%0AMbidzo%20coaches%20the%20Elias%20Madzara-owned%20Delma%20Printers%20Academy%20based%20in%20Glen%20Norah%20and%20has%20had%20at%20least%2055%20players%20under%20his%20tutelage.%20He%20said%20he%20hoped%20to%20produce%20future%20stars%20with%20special%20ball%20artistry%20skills%20that%20lack%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20football.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CFootballers%20must%20never%20stop%20learning.%20All%20upcoming%20and%20established%20players%20need%20to%20develop%20themselves%20academically.%20Material%20wealth%20is%20good%20but%20you%20cannot%20always%20express%20yourself%20to%20the%20world%20sitting%20in%20a%20Limousine,%20but%20through%20your%20mind,%20and%20also,%20life%20will%20ask%20you%20questions%20after%20a%20football%20career,%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.%0A%0AMbidzo%20is%20married%20to%20Lynnet%20and%20the%20couple%20is%20blessed%20with%20three%20girls:%20Kudzai%20(16),%20Lester%20(13)%20and%20Kunashe%20(4).%20He%20is%20a%20holder%20of%20a%20diploma%20in%20marketing%20management%20apart%20from%20his%20class%20three%20level%20soccer%20coaching%20badge.%0A%0AIn%202004%20he%20branded%20perfumes%20after%20his%20name%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Desire%20Colognes%E2%80%9D%20under%20Ngwiros%20Trading%20%E2%80%94%20a%20saloon%20product%20manufacturing%20company%20owned%20by%20Livingstone%20Mangwiro%20who%20was%20killed%20in%20a%20car%20accident,%20after%20which%20the%20initiative%20of%20marketing%20and%20product%20promotion%20hit%20a%20snag.%0A%0AAlthough%20he%20may%20not%20have%20crossed%20the%20borders%20in%20his%20area%20of%20specialty,%20Mbidzo%20has%20become%20a%20popular%20figure%20for%20his%20ball%20juggling%20skills.%0A%0AWhen%20other%20family%20members%20boast%20of%20their%20achievements%20on%20the%20football%20pitch,%20Mbidzo%20can%20always%20dare%20anyone%20to%20challenge%20him%20at%20ball%20juggling.&op=translate. bot: unknown.
- Web site: Farai Mbidzo-From Footballer to Musician. radio54africanpanorama.com.
- Web site: Let's take a bow to brothers who illuminated Zimbabwean football. herald.co.zw.
- Web site: Farai Mbidzo - Abdendblatt article.
- Web site: Farai Mbidzo - Abdendblatt article.